North Central College football team heads to national championship game for 6th year in a row

It has become an annual event at North Central College: This will be the sixth year in a row the football team has played in the Division III National Championship game.

They have won three of them, and they are planning on coming home with a fourth this weekend.

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It may be chilly in late December. But, North Central Cardinals ran through one of their final practices before Sunday's championship game Tuesday, and playing this late into the season has become routine.

"It was one of the reasons I came here: the culture, what this program teaches us as far as being a great man outside of football," said Cortez Jones, a North Central All-American player.

Junior offensive lineman Jones will play in his third national championship game this weekend.

He and other North Central players have come to expect this sort of success.

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Head coach Brad Spencer grew up in Naperville, played at North Central and has coached there for more than two decades, the last four as head coach.

"Winning cultivates winning. There's a lot to be said for that," Spencer said.

The program's success has brought the Naperville community together, as well.

The Lantern, a restaurant bar across from the campus, has watch parties for the games.

Banners, posters and even a helmet signed by some of the 2022 national championship team are on display.

They expect to be packed for the game Sunday.

"They're great people from students through alumni. They are kind, generous and appreciate their sports team," said Tammy Mores, with The Lantern

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The game this weekend will be played in Canton, Ohio outside the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

The last time the Cardinals played there, they lost, but they plan to make amends for that Sunday.

"It's really about getting the job done for these seniors, whether you're playing in Canton, or Salem or the moon," Spencer said.

North Central goes into the game as the No. 1 ranked team in Division III, with a perfect 14-0 record.

They plan to leave 15 and 0.